Pull-socket.



G. B. THOMAS.

PULL SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-18. 19L).

Patented NOV. 13,1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. THOMAS, 035 BRIDGE-PORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANTELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BBIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON-NECTICUT.

PULL-SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed December 18, 1915. Serial No. 87,618.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield andState of Connecticut, have mvented a certain new and Improved Full-Socket, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pull sockets and particularly to a novelconstruction and arrangement of the socket parts and switch mechanismfor a socket of what is commonly known as the angle type.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a socket in which my invention isembodied in one form- F ig 2 is a side elevation partially in section ofthe socket at right angles to Fig. 1 and showing the casing partsdetached;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the socket body at right angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through portion of the socketshowing the switch mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an exploded view showlng the elements of the socket body inperspective with some of the conducting parts detached.

Referring to the drawings, the socket as here shown comprises a two-partcaslng hav ing what may be termed, for convenience, a shell 10 and cap11 sleeved together and provided within the sleeving area with latchingmeans of any suitable sort such as the elements 12 and 13 of well knowntype. An attaching nipple 14 is carried by the shell 10 and projects atright angles to the long axis of the socket so that in adjusted positionon the fixture pipe the lamp inserted in the socket will stand upright,while the switch-operating chain 15 hangs down through the bell 16formed centrally of the cap 11 at its lowerend.

The socket body within the casing is formed of three insulating buttons17, 18 and 19. The buttons 18 and 19 have each a flat face and anopposite rounded face so that in assembled position the flat faces maybe spaced apart to receive between them a switch mechanism, while therounded outer faces conform to the cylindrical shape of the socketcasing. The button 17 overlies the buttons 18 and 19 at one end andafiords an insulating support for the socket termiswitch, while thestandard 23 overlies on one side of the switch terminals 24 and servesto retain the latter in position on the inner face of button 19. Thesecuring screw 25 for this standard pierces the button 19 and engages onthe outer face of the latter an angled strap 26 let into a recess 27 andextending into a seat 28 in the top button 17 where it is engaged by asecond securing screw 29 which pierces the latter and overlies the baseof the center contact 21 of the socket thus mechanically andelectrically connectingthe latter to the button 17 and the plate 26 andsimultaneously serving to mechanically secure button 17 with relation tothe buttons 18 and 19. On the inner face of the button 19 is formed aratchet boss 30 having four teeth, one of which is overlaid by theterminal 24, just mentioned. while the diametrically opposite tooth isoverlaid by a second switch terminal 32. This establishes electricalconnection with one side of the line circuit through the wire terminal43 beneath which in the recess 49, in the outer face of button 19, thebase of the terminal 32 is secured.

On the outer face of the opposite button 18 is arranged a wire terminalstrap 33 seated in a recess and secured by a screw 34. The upper end ofthis strap is angled beneath the button 17 the perforation 35 in thestrap registering with a hole 36 in the button through which passes ascrew 37 the head of which overlies the yoke 38 engaging the base flange39 of the screw shell 20. The screw shellis thus continually in the linecircuit. A second screw bolt 40 may be provided to more securely holdthe screw shell in position on the button 17.

The switch mechanism comprises a rotary switch piece 41 having contactwings 42 which overlie the teeth of the ratchet boss 30 and span theswitch terminals 24, 32, in the on position of the switch thuscompleting the line circuit to the socket center contact. The switchcontact is rotated by dogs on the oscillating actuating plate 44 whichcarries the chain rail 45 for the pull chain 15. The return spring 46 ismounted on the switch spindle 47 and engages the tongue 48 on theactuating plate at one end, while its opposite end is engaged in arectangular adjusting nut 48 seated in a rectangular recess in thebutton 18 and having a slotted outer face which is accessible from theexterior of the switch body for ready adjustment of the tension of thespring.

To facilitate the assembly of the button 17 and the correct positioningthereof with relation to the buttons 18 and 19, a rectangular rib 50 maybe formed'on the lower face of the button 17 This rib lies between theopposed flat faces of the buttons 18 and 19 in the, assembled positionof the parts. To prevent the socket as a whole from swiveling in thecasing, a boss 51 is formed on one side of the button 17 which engagesbetween a pair of inwardly struck flanges 52 on the shell 10. Thespacing bracket 23 serves as a stop against which the actuating plateabuts in its position of rest, while the position of this plate is suchthat the pull chain may freely pass downward and out through the chainbell 16 at the bottom of the cap on the actuation of the switch. Thesecuring nipple 14 through which the wires are led into the switch is sopositioned by the notch 53 in the cap 11 that the wires enter at a pointbetween the buttons 18 and 19 and the vertical edges of the latter arechanneled at 5%55 to accommodate the wires as they pass to the wireterminals 33 and 43 respectively.

The construction of the socket is such that the lamp is held in verticalposition while the pull chain, instead of passing out through the sideof the casing in the usual manner, passes out at the bottom of thecasing and affords a straight downward pull, thus not only putting lessstrain on the securing nipple but giving a freer and easier action tothe mechanism since there is practically no friction between the chainand the bell as it passes through the latter.

Various modifications in details of construction will readily occur tothose skilled in the art without departing from what I claim as myinvention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pull socket having a casing, an insulating body within the casing,said body comprising a top button and lamp terminals carried thereby,and two side buttons connected together and to the top button, said sidebuttons being spaced apart, a switch mechanism arranged between the sidebuttons and electrically interposed in the circuit of the lampterminals, and a pull member for actuating the switch, said pull memberextending out through the bottom ofthe casing, substantially asdescribed.

2. A pull socket having a casing, an insulating body within the casing,lamp terminals carried by said body adapted to hold a lamp on the axisof the casing, a switch spindle mounted on said body and extendingtransversely to the axis of the casing,

a switch device on said spindle, and a pull member for actuating theswitch, said pull member passing out of the casing at the lower end ofthe latter and substantially on the axis thereof.

A pull socket having a casing, an insulating body Within the samecomprising a pair of vertically arranged buttons spaced apart, lampterminals carried by said body,

a wire terminal on each of said buttons, one of said wire terminalsbeing directly connected toone of the lamp terminals, a switch mechanismarranged between the said buttons, and electrically interposed betweenthe other wire terminal and the other lamp terminal, together with apull member for actuating said switch, said pull member pass.

ing out through the bottom of the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE B. THOMAS. Witnesses H. M. WIoHER'r, A. H. JONES.

